Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Bengaluru

Class: VIII DISASTERS Sub: Geography

 Disaster – An event that causes a huge loss of lives and property either by natural
causes or due to human interference.
 Natural Disasters – Disasters caused by the forces of nature like earthquakes, floods,
cyclones and droughts are known as natural disasters.
 Man-made disasters – Disasters caused by human error, negligence, due to the
malfunctioning of equipments or when it is done intentionally.
Eg: Train accidents, plane crashes, stampedes, terrorism, industrial and nuclear
accidents.
 Hazard – A condition or a thing that leads to a disaster.
 Disaster Management – The steps taken before, during and after a disaster to reduce
its suffering and damage.

NATURAL DISASTERS:

I Earthquakes:
 The sudden shaking of the earth (tremors) due to the movement of lithospheric
plates is known as earthquake.
Earthquakes may cause massive loss of life and property.
 Seismic Focus – The point below the Earth’s surface where the vibrations of an
earthquake begin.
 Epicentre – The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the seismic focus, which
experiences maximum destruction.
 Seismograph – An instrument used to record and measure the vibrations of an
earthquake.
 Richter Scale – This scale is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake. It is
measured from 0 to 10 on the scale. An earthquake measuring 7 on the scale is more
severe and causes huge loss of life and property.
 Mercalli Scale – The mercalli scale is used to the intensity of an earthquake.
It is done by recording the experiences of people and by noting the damage.
o It has twelve levels numbered as I-XII. The lower number I-VI deals with the
way tremors felt by the people.
o The higher numbers VII-XII deal with the damage the earthquake causes.
Events caused by earthquakes:
o Landslides – A mass of loosened rock and soil moving down a slope under
gravity, carrying boulders and uprooted trees, destroying and burying
buildings, roads and railways and blocking and flooding streams in its path.
o Tsunami – A huge wave, generated by an earthquake on the sea floor.
Earthquake zones of India:
Foothills of the Himalayas and the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin.
Preventive measures taken to safeguard during an earthquake:
 Get away from glass objects, windows and other things that can fall.
 Indoor – crawl under a bed or table.
 Outdoor – Move away from building, trees, poles, hoardings etc.
 Listen for emergency broadcast on radio.

II Floods:
 A condition in which vast areas of normally dry land covered by water.
 Riverine Floods – Floods caused by the overflowing of rivers either by large volume
of rainwater or when snowmelt enters a river channel.
 Flash floods – Floods which occur suddenly due to heavy localised rainfall, landslides
or dam breaks.
Precaution during the occurrence of floods:
The damage and suffering caused by floods can be reduced by –
o Evacuating people and livestock
o Setting up temporary shelters
o Stocking food, water and medicines
o Keeping boats and communication equipment ready
o Seal drain holes and toilets bowls with sandbags to prevent sewage from
flowing back.
o Since water sources are contaminated during floods that leads to water-
borne diseases like diarrhoea, vomiting, drink boiled water.
o Use bleaching powder or lime on the stagnant pools of flood water to avoid
breeding mosquitoes.

III Cyclones:
Cyclones are the tropical storms when high speed winds swirl around a region of low
atmospheric pressure. They blow in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere
and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. They bring heavy rainfall that can cause floods.
Cyclones are called by different names in different regions such as hurricanes in the
Western Atlantic, typhoons in the Western Pacific and willy-willies in Australia.
Storm Surge – The high walls of water pushed onto the shore by storm winds. It occurs at
high tide, which rises the level of sea water enormously.
The Indian coastline is the most cyclone-hit region of the world. The eastern coast of
India is more cyclone-prone. They originate in the Bay of Bengal and strike the eastern coast
during October and November.
 Coastal forests act as natural barriers to wind and water, reduce cyclone damage but
clearing these forests for cultivation has led to the magnification of the impact of cyclones in
these area.
Precautions during cyclones:
 People residing in the cyclone prone areas must regularly follow TV and radio
weather forecasts.
 Upon cyclone warning, all moveable property to be taken indoors and boats to be
tied down.
 Food, water, medicines and clothing sufficient for 3-4 days to be stocked.
 Must move to a safer place.

IV Droughts:
 Acute water shortage caused by a long spell of abnormally low rain is termed as
drought.
 It is characterized by water shortage, depletion of groundwater and crop damage.
 Global warming due to human activities such as deforestation and unscientific
agriculture by altering global rainfall patterns.
 Droughts cause deaths by starvation and force people to migrate to other areas and
even lead to desertification.
Degradation process by which a fertile land changes itself into a desert is
desertification.
Avoiding droughts:
 Conserving water through controlled use and rainwater harvesting.
 Adopting sprinklers and drip irrigation methods.
 Practising mixed cropping and growing drought resistant crops.
 Planting trees and grasses to replenish groundwater reserves.
Rainwater Harvesting:
Rainwater is collected by digging a tank or pit or by enclosing a low-lying area by
earthen embankments called bunds.
Small check dams are built across the streams to collect water.
As the water level rises, it overflows through man-made channels or collected in
reservoirs that can be used later.
Measures to conserve water:
 By repairing leaking pipes and taps
 By cleaning vegetables and clothes in water kept in vessels instead of running water
 Watering plants with waste water.
Man-Made Disasters:
I Fires:
Causes:
 Faulty electrical equipment and wiring
 Faulty stoves, leakage of cooking gas
 Carelessly thrown matches or cigarettes
Precautions during a fire accident:
 Extinguish fire using fire extinguisher or sand.
 Get out of the building quickly
 Avoid using water to put out electrical fire
 Roll on the ground to put out the fire caught on clothes
 Do not use lift
 Call fire department
Preventive measures:
 Keep electrical equipment and fuses in good condition
 Avoid overloading the electrical outlets
 Stoves to be checked and cleaned
 Gas pipes and regulators to be inspected for leakage regularly.
 Matches, lighters and inflammable substances to be stored carefully and away from
children.
Industrial and Nuclear Accidents:
Bhopal Gas Tragedy:
Occurrence: 1984, at Union Carbide Factory, Bhopal
Reason : Leakage of poisonous gas, Methyl Isocyanate (MIC)
Effects : 2,500 people were killed, nearly 30,000 people had permanent
disabilities.

Accident in a nuclear plant, release radioactive material and nuclear radiation,

affecting the population in a large area around the plant.
Exposure to nuclear radiation causes nausea, loss of hair and diarrhoea.
Victims develop cancers and babies are born with genetic defects.
Ex: Chernobyl disaster. It took place in Chernobyl (Ukraine), former USSR.
Disaster Preparedness:
First Responders: The affected people in the disaster who take the first step to cope with
the disasters are the First Responders
Preparedness by the Government:
The government can be prepared in the following ways to manage disasters.
 Set aside funds for disaster management and relief.
 Build shelters, and stock equipment, food, clothing and medicines for use in
disasters.
 Train officials to react properly and coordinate the efforts of various agencies during
disasters.
 Set up organisations to forecast floods, droughts, cyclones etc, broadcast warnings,
fight fire and so on.
 Build embankments and dams to control flood, plant trees in coastal areas for
breaking the flow of storm waters and winds, implement programmes for water and
soil conservation.
Civil Society: The government gets help in disaster management from various organisations
such as the United Nations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Scouts and Guides, the
National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the National Service Scheme (NSS), together known as civil
society.
Preparedness in the community:
 People should be aware of the local hazards and the way to deal with them.
 A committee responsible for preparedness and relief operations should be formed.
 A system for warning people of approaching danger should be developed.
 The local shelter and a place to serve as a control room during disasters should be
identified.
 Basic provisions to overcome crisis should be stocked.
 Plans to evacuate people should be developed.
Preparedness in the Family:
 All members of the family to be taught how to respond to the hazards.
 Approaching emergency services and to turn off gas and electricity to be taught.
 Emergency kit to be prepared and kept it in a known convenient place.
 Familiar and safe routes to be known to evacuate during disasters.
Preparing Emergency Kit:
 An emergency kit should have water and dry food to last for atleast 3-4days.
 It should have a first-aid box that contains antiseptics, cotton, bandages, tape,
aspirin, medicines for stomach upset and burn cream.
  Must have a torch, a radio, batteries, candles, matches, strong ropes, tools like
knives, scissors and screwdrivers, sanitary provisions like soap and towels, and some
clothing and blankets.
 Food, medicines and clothing should be wrapped in waterproof material.
 The kit should be packed and kept in an easily accessible place.
 Every six months, the stocked items should be checked and replaced if necessary.

Case Studies:
1. Assam floods
Occurrence : June to October every year
Main cause : overflowing of Brahmaputra river
Effect : widespread devastation affecting agriculture,
infrastructure and the lives of many
2. Earthquake in Nepal
Occurrence : 25th April, 2015
Magnitude : 7.8 on the Richter Scale
Intensity : IX on Mercalli Scale
Effect : 9,000 people were killed, 20,000 injured and thousands
were left homeless
After effects : Led to landslides and made avalanches descend from
the mountains into the valleys below causing death
and destruction.

An avalanche is an enormous mass of ice and rock rapidly moving down a slope.

3. Oil spills in coastal USA

An oil spill refers to the accidental release of large quantity of oil in to
environment due to human activities in an ocean or a sea.
The layer of oil that floats on the water, covering a large is area is known as
an oil slick.
Apart from polluting water and soil, oil slicks can kill huge number of marine
organisms, birds and animals. Coastal fishing and fisheries, tourism are also severely
affected by oil slicks.
Eg: Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, on 20th April
2010
 Sub: Geography
Chapter: India: Climate, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
STD: VIII
Climatic diversity: -
1. India has a tropical monsoon climate.
2. The interior part of the country, especially in the north, it has a
continental type of climate. Since they are away from the oceans and
seas and there is an absence of moderating influence of the sea.
They experience extreme climatic condition.
3. Continental type of climate is characterized by hot summer and cold
winter.
4. The coastal areas have a more equable climate, with much smaller
differences between summer and winter temperatures.
5. In the mountainous regions, the climate is determined by the
altitude.
Factors determining climate: -
1.Latitude: - Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country,
most of India lies in the tropical and subtropical zones.
2. Altitude: -The temperature of a place depends on its altitude.
Temperature decreases with height. For every 165 m ascent, the
temperature falls by 1ºC. (Normal Lapse Rate)
3. Position with Respect to Mountains: -
➢ The lofty Himalayas stand as a barrier against the clod winds
from northern Asia.
➢ They force the monsoon winds to shed their moisture within the
country.
➢ The Western Ghats influence the rainfall in western Indian,
forcing the rain-bearing Monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea to
shed their moisture over the wind ward side of the Western
ghats. (Mountains cause relief rainfall, also called Orographic
rainfall.)
 ➢ The winds that cross over to the Eastern side are dry, so it
receives low rainfall. Also known as Rain-Shadow area.
(leeward side)
4. Distance from the sea: - The seas have a moderating effect on the
temperature in the coastal areas. Areas close to the sea do not experience
a large variation in temperature across seasons, but opposite is the case in
the interior of the region.
5. Winds: - The winds that affect the climate of India most are the
monsoon winds. These cause abundant rainfall in the country.
➢ Winds blowing in from the North-West during the winter months
cause cold waves in Northern India.
Indian Seasons: -
a) Summer: -
➢ In India, summer is characterised by hot, dry weather.
➢ It begins in March and continues up to May.
➢ In Northern India, the maximum temperature rises above 45ºC
and experience a hot and dry wind called loo which blows during
day.
➢ A low-pressure zone is created over Northern India due to the high
temperature. This results in local storms accompanied by rain in
Eastern India called kalbaisakhi and mango showers in
Southern India.
MONSOON: - The monsoon, or rainy season, begins in June and lasts
till September.
➢ In June, the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Cancer.
➢ The landmass gets heated to very great extent. An area of very
low pressure develops over North India.
➢ The ocean, on the other hand remains relatively cold. A high
pressure exists over it.
➢ The low pressure over the land is intense enough to attract the
winds from the Indian Ocean even in the Southern
Hemisphere.
 ➢ The south- east trade in the Southern Hemisphere are
attracted into India.
➢ When the south-east Trade winds cross the Equator, they are
deflected towards the right due to the Coriolis effect and blow
into India as the South-West Monsoon winds.
➢ These winds are moisture-laden and cause heavy rainfall in
India. Most of India receives rainfall during this season.
Note: - Coriolis Effect (Ferrel’s Law) Due to the rotation of the
Earth, any moving object whether liquid or gaseous gets
deflected to the right of their paths in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left of their paths in the Southern
Hemisphere.)
Branches of the Monsoon: - The Indian peninsula splits the monsoon
into two branches.
i) Southwest Arabian Sea branch: - The Southwest Arabian Sea
branch hits the Kerala coast in the first week of June, so Kerala is
the first state to receive the rain. This brings heavy rainfall to the
western coastal areas and the windward side of the Western
Ghats. It gradually spreads over central and northern India.
ii) Southwest Bay of Bengal branch: - The South west Bay of Bengal
branch is deflected towards the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta by
Arakan Yoma range of Myanmar. Unable to cross the Himalayas, it
moves westward, causing rainfall along the Ganga plain and the
state of Meghalaya ((Mawsynram receives highest rainfall in the
world over 1,700cm per year)
b) Retreating Monsoon: -
➢ The monsoon retreats from India during October and
November.
➢ The pressure in the north-western India starts increasing. The
change in pressure conditions leads to the reversal in the
direction of the monsoon winds.
➢ Winds blows from north-east to the south-west and are called
the retreating monsoon.
 ➢ In October, the skies begin to clear and there is a slight rise in
temperature.
➢ This is a season of transition between the hot, rainy season and
the cold, dry season. This combined heat and humidity is
known as October heat.
➢ The retreating monsoon brings rainfall to coastal Tamil Nadu
and Andhra Pradesh.
c) Winter: -
➢ The season begins in December and lasts till February. January
is the coldest month.
➢ In January, peninsular India is quite warm, the northern plains
are cool.
➢ A high-pressure zone builds up over northern India because of
the low temperature. This causes cool dry winds to blow from
north to south.
➢ So, winter is usually associated with dry weather and chilly
breezes.
Western disturbances: -
➢ Northern India experiences modernate rainfall in winter. This
rainfall is caused by the western disturbance, which are
cyclonic storms originating in the Mediterranean Sea.
➢ They cause snowfall in the Himalayan belt and bring rains to
the northern India. (Punjab and Haryana western Uttar
Pradesh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir)
Distribution of rainfall: -The rainfall in India is not uniformly distributed. It
ranges from very high to low.
i) Very heavy rainfall: -
Regions: - Western Ghats, North-eastern India
Meghalaya is one of the wettest areas of the world. Meghalaya
means ‘the abode of the clouds.
Mawsynram, a place near Cherrapunji receives highest rainfall in the
world.
ii) Moderate rainfall: -
 Regions: - Southern foothills of Himalayas, Ganga plain in Bihar and
West Bengal and north-eastern part of peninsular India.

iii) Low rainfall: -

Regions: - Thar desert, Northern part of Kashmir and leeward side of
the Western Ghats.

Natural Vegetation
Sl.no Type of Region Rainfall Natural
forest vegetation
1. Tropical -Western Rainfall: -Evergreen
Rainforest Ghata, West more than trees
coast, parts 200cm per -Tress: -
of West year. Mahogany,
Bengal and wild rubber,
Odisha, cinchona
North- and bamboo
eastern All the trees
states and do not shed
Andaman their leaves
and Nicobar at the same
Island time, So
they look
evergreen.
2. Tropical -common Rainfall: - -The trees
Deciduous type of forest 100cm to shed leaves
Forest in India, it 200cm in the
(Monsoon occurs over beginning of
Forest) a large part summer.
of the -Trees: -
country. teak, sal,
-Deccan peepal
Plateau, rosewood,
northern sandalwood,
plains, bamboo
foothills of
Himalayas
3. Thorn -Dry regions Rainfall: - - The
Forest of less than vegetation
Rajasthan, 50cm consists of
Gujarat, short trees.
Punjab, -The plants
Haryana and have thorny
 dry areas of or waxy
peninsular leaves.
India. -This
minimises
transpiration
and thus
helps the
plants
withstand
the dry
conditions.
(Xerophytic
plants)
Trees: -
Acacia,
thorny
bushes and
shrubs.
4. Mountain The Rainfall: - Coniferous
Forest vegetation in Varies with tress: -
the height cedars,
mountains pines and
varies with silver fir.
altitude. Alpine
-Himalayas vegetation: -
shrubs and
grasses.
5. Tidal Forest -found in -Rainfall: - Tress: -
(Mangrove swampy Heavy Sundari
Forest) areas that rainfall over tress
are 200cm. -The wood of
constantly this tree is
washed by durable and
sea water is used to
during high make boats.
tide.
Regions: -
Andaman
and Nicobar
Islands,
Eastern
coast near
large deltas.
-Ganga-
Brahmaputra
delta also
 called
Sunderbans.

Importance of Forest: -
a. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
b. Plants absorb water and release moisture.
c. Forest help in cloud formation, which leads to rainfall.
d. Prevents soil erosion.
e. Forest is the home to wildlife.
f. Forest gives us many useful things like wood, bamboo, fruits, dyes, gums and
medicines.
g. Resin, used in making varnish from pine tree.
h. Lac is a dark red sticky substance secreted by an insect used for marking dyes,
bangles and sealing wax.

Protecting Forest: -
a. The Forest Research Institute has been set up in Dehradun to manage and
protect India’s forest.
b. It conducts research and trains people to look after forest.
c. Looking after forests to protect the environment and meet the needs of the
people at the same time is called social forestry.
d. Van Mahotsav is celebrated very year to encourage people to plant trees.

Wildlife: -
a. Tiger, India’s national animal, is found in many parts of the country.
b. Bengal tiger: - Sundarbans
c. Snow leopard: -Himalayas
d. Asiatic Lion: - Gir National Park in Gujarat.
e. Indian rhinoceros: - Assam and West Bengal
f. Red panda: - Himalayan forests.
g. Wild yak: - Ladakh region

Protecting Wildlife: -
a. Many National parks, wildlife sanctuaries and bird sanctuaries have been set up
all over India.
b. In 1973, Project Tiger was launched to save the tiger population in India.
c. In 1992, Project Elephant was launched to protect the Asiatic elephant.
d. The wildlife Institute of India at Dehradun trains people to protect and manage
wildlife.
e. We can help protect wildlife by refusing to buy things made of ivory, animal horn
and animal skin and prevent the killing of animals.
f. The first week of October is observed as Wildlife Week every year.

Biosphere Reserve:
a. Kanchenjunga
b. Manas
c. Nilgiri
d. Dihang Dibang
Major National Park or Sanctuary: -
a. Nagarhole
b. Bandipur
c. Gir
d. Nandankanan

*****************
 Chapter: - Migration
STD: VIII
Introduction: -
➢ Human migration is the movement of people from one place to
another, often over long distance.
➢ Migration excludes short-term movements, like commuters and
tourists, in which the migrants do not intend to stay at the new
location for long.
➢ People who migrate during war, famines and epidemics cannot return
to their homes on grounds of safety are called refugees.
Types of Migration: -
➢ The seasonal movement of pastoral people with their animals to
warmer postures in winter and back again in summer: - Temporary
migration.
➢ Outward migration, or the movement of people out of a region: -
Emigration
➢ Inward migration, or the movement of people who move into a region:
Immigration.
➢ When people move to a new home in another place within the same
country: - Internal Migration
➢ When people cross an international border and move to a new home
in a different country: - International Migration
➢ External Migration between continents: - Intercontinental Migration
➢ Migration between the countries in the same continents: -
Intracontinental Migration
Causes of Migration: - The causes of migration may be grouped into two
main categories: - Push Factors and Pull Factors.
1. Push Factors: -The difficulties that cause people to emigrate are
called push factors.
a. Food shortage
b. War
c. Natural disasters, like recurrent floods, famines, and so on.
 d. Shortage of jobs, low earnings and unstable economic conditions.
e. Lack of amenities such as good housing, transport, power supply
and so on.
2. Pull factors: - The factors that attract immigrants to a certain place
are called pull factors.
a. Abundance of food and other resources.
b. Better amenities
c. Political stability
d. Lower risk of natural disasters
e. Higher earnings, better employment opportunities and a stable
economy.

➢ Impact of Migration on Donor Regions: - The regions from which

people emigrate are known as donor regions.

➢ Positive Impact of Migration: -

a. Emigration reduces the population density, which in turn
reduces the pressure on resources. This helps control
overpopulation.
b. Emigration reduces birth rates, as migrants are mostly
young adults who wish to raise a family.
c. Migrants often send back money to people in their original
home. This helps improve the economy of their native place.

➢ Negative Impact of Migration: -

a. Emigration leads to a loss of labour, especially skilled
labour. This slows down economic development.
b. Emigration leads to a loss of young people of working age.
c. Emigration causes family structures to break down, as men
often migrate without their families.
d. Emigrants often give up their own culture and adopt the
culture of the place where they settle.
 Impact of Migration on Receiver Regions: - The regions to which
people migrate are known as receiver regions
➢ Positive Impact of Migration: -
a. Immigration reduces underpopulation.
b. It increases the supply of labour.
c. Immigrant workers may be willing to work at cheaper rates
than native workers.
d. Immigration increases the working population, especially in
developed regions.
e. The presence of people of different races, religions,
languages and cultures in a society increases
understanding and tolerance among different groups.

➢ Negative Impact of Migration: -

a. Large-scale immigration increases the pressure on local
resources, especially in already crowded areas such as
cities.
b. Industries prefer to employ cheap migrant labour. This
makes it difficult for local people to get jobs.
c. A large amount of the money earned by immigrants is sent
away to their native places.
d. Large-scale immigration of people having a language and
religion different from the locals may cause conflict.

Brain Drain: - Refers to the emigration of many highly skilled

and educated people, including scientists, doctors, engineers
and economists from less developed countries to more
developed countries.
➢ It is technically called human capital flight, as it refers to the
moving away of human resources from a region.
Causes of Brain Drain: -
➢ Brain drain is caused by various push factors present in less
developed countries and pull factors present in more
developed countries.
Push factors: -
a. Low earnings and low prospects of finding better jobs.
b. Lack of facilities for education and training.
c. Political or economic instability.
d. Poor conditions of work.
Pull factors: -
a. High earning and good prospects of finding better jobs.
b. Ample facilities for education and training.
c. Good conditions of work.
d. Good work culture, ensuring appreciation and freedom at
work.
Impact of Brain Drain: -
Positives Impact: -
a. Those who emigrate sharpen their skills and increase their
knowledge abroad.
b. Those who emigrate often send back a large part of their
income to their home country.
c. The prospect of emigrating encourages people to get good
education and develop skills.
Negatives Impact: -
a. The country loses skilled labour, slowing down its
development.
b. The country loses businessmen, and its economy suffers.
c. The country loses the taxes that the emigrants would pay.
d. The resources that the country spent on educating and
training the emigrants are wasted.
*************